1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modified twenty-one or black jack card game, and more particularly, a modified twenty-one card game providing a player to wager on beating/losing to the dealer, as well as wagering on potential dealer outcomes.
2. Background of the Related Art
The growth of the gaming industry, in particular, gambling casinos has been very significant over the last decade. The industry has come to recognize the need for new games and new gambling concepts. It also recognizes that the new technologies available need to be integrated in order to improve their gaming environment. It also recognizes the need to become a more efficient gaming provider.
The state gaming control boards of Nevada and New Jersey (which have traditionally been slow to approve any new games or gambling concepts) have changed their philosophy so dramatically that today they actively encourage the trial and acceptance of new games and gambling concepts. The problem with introducing new games has always been the basic criteria for mass-market gambling:
Easy-to-learn game rules. PA1 Strategies must be easy to master and not favor "the expert" disproportionately. PA1 Games must have a short duration between the start (the bet) and the finish (the payoff). PA1 The payoff structure, that is, what can be won by a lucky player must be enticing. PA1 The game must be fair, that is, the casino should not have an unreasonable advantage. PA1 The game must be "secure", that is, protected from cheating and tampering. PA1 The casino's "win" must be demonstrated to be worthwhile., that is, the "win per machine per month" must at least compare favorably to that of the "slots". PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,579 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,142 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,810 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,416 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,915 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,934 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,119 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,570 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,296
Over the years, there have been many different types of games that have attempted to satisfy the demands of the gaming industry. These games have ranged the gamut from those involving great mental prowess to games involving merely chance. Nevertheless, there is still a strong interest in game concepts that create real excitement.
One game of interest over the years is twenty-one or black jack. Various attempts have been made to enhance play of twenty-one over the years. Examples of such attempts are described in the following U.S. patent references, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference:
However, all these prior art attempts at making the twenty-one game interesting and challenging have not been successful.
One example, is U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,579 to Griffiths, assigned to the assignee of the present application. In Griffiths, an additional separate wager is added to a conventional twenty-one game. The player wagers on whether the dealer will either bust, or achieve a hand count of exactly 21. The twenty-one game is played out according to the conventional method of play of the game, and the normal winning and losing hands are paid or collected by the dealer. The dealer then reconciles the additional separate wager based on whether the dealer has either busted or achieved a hand count of exactly 21 during the play of the dealer's hand. This additional wager can be paid according to predetermined odds, such as one-to-one odds or others, as determined by the house.
Griffiths provides a player an additional chance of winning a separate wager when the dealer has either achieved an unbeatable winning hand of twenty-one (similar to insurance when the dealer's first card up is an ace), or when the dealer busts (similar to the typical wager where the player bets he will beat the dealer or the dealer will bust). Unfortunately, this additional wager is not very exciting because the predetermined odds are one-to-one, and the like. That it, the additional wager in Griffiths is unable to mathematically embrace the appropriate odds to make the additional wager of interest.
On the other hand, we have determined that a more natural method and game of twenty-one is possible. We have further discovered that it is desirable to provide a more interesting and exciting game of twenty-one.
We have further discovered that it is desirable to provide a more interesting game of twenty-one that entices players to make additional wagers, thereby maximizing casino earnings.
We have also discovered that it is desirable to provide a more interesting game of twenty-one that provides the feature of guaranteeing at least one win when the player makes all possible wagers.
We have also discovered that it is desirable to provide a more interesting game of twenty-one that provides the feature of enhanced or high payoffs for more excitement.
We have further discovered that it is desirable to provide a more interesting game of twenty-one that provides additional wagers that are extremely fast to make, thereby increasing the number of wagers possible in a game or during a predetermined time interval of play.
We have further discovered that it is desirable to provide a more interesting game of twenty-one that provides multiple wagers that are extremely fast to make, thereby increasing the number of wagers that may be placed simultaneously.
We have further discovered that it is desirable to provide a more interesting game of twenty-one that provides enhanced payoffs, such as a jackpot or a progressive jackpot.